Mail-bag hanger



(No Model.)

Gr. M. PATTERSON.

Patented-Mar, 26, 1895. f

um E G N A nu G A B L I A M 9. .l 4, 6 o0 .D 0. N

/N VE N TOR W/TNESSES:

- nuTnDI 'ST-A'rltjs'v GEORGE M. PATTERSON, OE GERTRUDE, GEORGIA.

MAIL-BAG HANGER.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,479, dated March 26, 1895.

Y Application led May 12, 1894. Serial No. 510.968' (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE M. PATTERSON, of Gertrude, in the county of Liberty and State of Georgia, have invented a new and lmproved Mail-Bag Hanger, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in mail bag hangers, and it has for its object to provide a device of that character which may be constructed in an exceedingly simple and' economic manner, and manipulated by a youth equally as well as by an adult.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the mail bag hanger that the' wear and tear upon the mail bags, incident to the use of the ordinary or standard hanger will be obviated', and whereby the bag, when located upon the hanger, will be held firmly in the requisite position, and whereby the bag-supporting sections of the hanger may be adjusted to bags of different lengths.

The invention consists in the novel con'- struction and combination of the severalparts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar gures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothv views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved hanger; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, representing a vertical section through the lower bag-supporting portion of the hanger.

In carrying out the invention the crane A is preferably constructed of piping or a tubular material, the several parts being connected by fittings incident to the useot such material; and the said crane comprises a standard 10, held to revolve in the usual box stand B and in a socket 11 below said stand. The standard is provided at its upper end with an arm 12, located preferably at a right angle thereto, and a lower and similarly located arm 13, the two arms being connected and braced by a shorter standard 14. Each arm is made socket is adapted to carry a somewhat similar device D.

The lower holding or bag retaining device D, preferably consists -ot a body 16,.circnlar in cross section, provided at its lower end with a marginal rib or flange 17, and at its upper end with a head 18,'which head is provided with any desired number of hooks or cleats 19, projected outwardly from its pe ri pheral surface. The body of the bag retaining device D is made much longer than the socket in which it is to revolve, and in order to provide for wear a thimble 20, is located in the upper portion of the socket, and a second thimble 21 is located in the lower portion of the socket, the body of the retaining device revolving in engagement with bothy of the thimbles.

-The'body of the retaining device D, is further provided with a series of recesses 22, ar-

ranged circumferentially thereof, and the recesses are provided withtapering sides and ends, the sides and ends meeting at the bottom of a recess, as shown in Fig. 2. These recesses are made sufficiently long to provide for a predetermined 'vertical adjustment of the said retaining device, since the sockets are adapted to be engaged by the head of a bolt 23, which bolt is located in the outer extremity of the lower arm 13 of the crane. This bolt is usually and preferably located within a box 24 held in the outer extremity of the arm 13 in such manner that the said box cannot move inward from the position in which it is placed. The rear vportion of the bolt 23 is reduced in diameter and isv passed loosely through an aperture in the back of the box, the reduced portion of the bolt being surrounded by a spring 25, located within the boi;` the said spring acting to hold the head of the bolt constantlyin engagement with the body-of the bag-retaining device D, and tends to force the said head into a recess 22', when one is presented to it.

A cap 26, is screwed upon the lower thimble 21, and a spring 27, is coiled around the lower end of the body of the bag-retaining device, having bearing against the flange 17 thereof, and against the lower end of the lower thimble 21, or an equivalent stop. The action of this spring is such that it tends to draw the head of the bag-retaining device IOO downward toward the socket 15 in which it is located, but yet the head may be drawn upward in direction of the upper bag-retaining device to be locked in engagement with the mail bag to be suspended, the downward tension of the spring serving to longitudinally stretch the bag and maintain it in fixed position, but the bag is held primarily in fixed position through the medium of the locking bolt 23, entering one of the recesses 22 in the lower bag retaining device.

The upper bag-retaining device C consists preferably only of a body 16 provided with the recesses 22, andthe spring controlled bolt 23, shown in Fig. 2, together with the head 18, which is at the lower end of the socket.

The crane may be revolved in any approved manner; ordinarily through the medium of a lever 2S, which is preferably pivotally attached to thelower portion of the body standard 10 of the crane above the boxing B, as shown in Fig. 1; and the said lever, when the crane has been brought in position to enable the bag carried thereby to be caught by the gathering arm of a mail car, is made to enter a keeper 29, locking the cranein that position. WVhen the crane is carried out of the way of a passing car the lever may be made to enter a second keeper if desired.

In the operation of this device, the bag is held by attaching one end of said bag to one of the cleats or hooks ot' the upper retaining device C, and drawing the lower retaining device D upward until the opposite end of the bag may be attached to a hook or cleat car` ried thereby, the head being turned until the bolt 23 shall have entered one of the recesses in this latter device. The bag will now be held stationary and under longitudinal tension. When the bag is caught by the gathering arm of the mail car gathering device it may be readily drawn from its support, and the supports being swiveled or held to revolve, will turn as the bag is removed therefrom, thus preventing wear and tear upon the rings or other devices located upon the bag for attachment to the hooks or cleats.

It will be understood that the head of the bolt 23 will slide out of the recesses 22 and over the cylindrical surface of the body 16 when the latter is turned by the pull incident upon the removal of the bag, but as soon as the pull ceases, the bolt will again lock the retaining device against accidental rotation by engaging one of the recesses 22, the spring 25 restoring the body 16 to its lowermost position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A mail bag hanger, comprising a standard, opposing arms extending therefrom, vertical sockets at the outer ends of the arms, bag-retaining devices mounted to turn about vertical axes in the said sockets, and a springpressed bolt adapted to arrest the rotary movement of each bag-retaining device, substantially as described.

2. A mail bag hanger, the same consisting of a crane provided with horizontal arms terminating at their outer extremities in sockets, and a bag-retaining device located in each socket and capable of turning therein, one of the said devices having spring-controlled end movement, both being provided with automatically operating locks, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A bag-retainin g device, the same consisting of a crane provided with two horizontal arms terminating at their extremities in sockets, a rotary bag-retaining device carried by each socket, each of said devices being provided with recesses having inclined sides, and a spring-controlled bolt adapted to enter the recesses in the said retaining devices, one retaining device being likewise capable of springiiticontrolled end movement, as and for the purpose-set forth.

4. Tn a mail bag hanger, a crane constructed of a tubular material, provided with horizontal arms terminating at their outer ends in sockets, a bag-retaining device capable of turning in the uppersocket, comprisingabody located in the socket, a head extending below the socket and provided with hooks or cleats, a second bag-retaining device located in the lower socket, comprising a body held to turn in the socket and having spring-controlled end movement and provided with a series of circumferentially arranged recesses, a head formed at the upper end of the body, provided with hooks or cleats, and a spring-controlled bolt, normally in engagement with the body and adapted to enter the recesses therein, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A mail bag hanger, comprising a standard having an upper and a lower arm, and bag-retaining devices mounted in said arms, said devices being each provided with a plu rality of hooks or cleats arranged peripherally thereon and forming means ot' attachment for the mail bag, said devices being adapted for complete rotation whereby the device is automatically placed in position for use by the movement imparted thereto when the bag is removed substantially as set forth.

GEORGE M. PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. RITCHIE, Jol-1N H. PATTERSON. 

